Paranormal activities during the presidential campaign such as the use of malicious energy attacks have been blamed by a top Romanian politician and his wife for his losing the presidential poll against Traian Basescu last year. The allegations, made by Social Democratic Party - PSD leader Mircea Geoana and his wife Mihaela Geoana on a TV station last weekend, have sparked mockery in Romanian media and intensified attacks on him as the party is engulfed in a power struggle following the election last year.

National paper Romania libera writes an op-ed on Monday headlined "Voodoo politics", while TV news channels focused on debates on the "Violet flame mania", referring to renewed accusations of mystical attacks by President Traian Basescu's team against Mircea Geoana, his rival in the second round of presidential elections in December 2009.

Romanian news agency Mediafax reported that last weekend Mircea Geoana said on Antena 3 news channel that he did not feel drained of energy during the last televised debate of the presidential elections. But while claiming these were childish excuses, he said Basescu was using the support of people with paranormal abilities who were present at the debate.

Then, on Saturday, his wife Mihaela Geoana said Mircea Geoana was the target of malicious energy attacks during that debate, which would explain why he was "paralyzed" during parts of the discussion.

The allegations come as Viorel Hrebenciuc, a PSD politician who aided Geoana during the campaign, first spoke of of a "violet flame" conspiracy against Geoana in the wake of presidential poll, which was won by Traian Basescu. Hrebenciuc pointed that Basescu was using "violet" ties in key moments of the campaign and linked the issue with "violet flame" mystical theories.

The allegations prompted furor in Romanian politics and media on Sunday and Monday. Even the Washington Post published an AP report on Geoana's claims on Monday. Romanian newspaper Romania libera comments that "tomorrow we may learn that Geoana and Basescu were simple televised puppets in battle carried by their ethereal bodies in a laser sword Jihad".

And the issue brought mockery within the PSD - where various factions are involved in a struggle to get the leadership of the party - with honorary president Ion Iliescu saying that "Are we going back to Nostradamus? We're in the 21st century". And Silviu Prigoana, a representative of Basescu's Liberal Democratic Party whose son lost an election this weekend, said jokingly that he had told his son to use a violet tie, but was refused.

And on the Romanian version of HotNews.ro people commented extensively on the "malicious energy attacks" report. One reader commented that the PSD "was getting bogged in proof that it is a party of the elderly, where communism is supported by amateur occultism", while another asked whether Hrebenciuc had Geoana and his wife "stoned". "Let's say he (Geoana) was the target of an energy attack. Had he become head of state, what would have happened - would he wear an aluminum belt around his head?" asked another HotNews.ro user.